In a large frying pan, saute mushrooms over medium high heat with a good splash of olive oil, season lightly. Cook until softened and cooked through, approximately 6-8 minutes. In another frying pan, cook onions over medium heat until quite soft. Add celery and garlic and cook another couple of minutes. Remove both mushrooms and celery onion mixture from pans and spread onto a baking sheet to cool. In a food processor combine pumpkin seeds along with fennel seeds and chili flakes, and pulse until pumpkin seeds have a fine meal texture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut puff pastry 2 ½ inches by three inches. Place a small amount of filling (about 1-2 tbsp) in each pastry and roll up. Brush the ends of the roll with water to help stick together. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake approximately 15 minutes until pastry is golden and cooked through.

Vegan Mayo

Ingredients

8 oz silken tofu

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

Directions

Combine the tofu, lemon juice, salt, mustard and sugar in the jar of a high powered blender or food processor. Turn on and bring up to high speed. Slowly drizzle in the oil, until a thick white sauce has emerged. You may need a little more or a little less oil.

Quick Kraut

(should pickle half a large head of cabbage)

Ingredients

Pickling Liquid :

3 cups cold water

2 cups vinegar (White wine or Apple Cider preferred)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup salt

2 tablespoons dill seed or dry dill

2 tablespoons caraway seed

1/2 head of cabbage, cored and shredded (thinly sliced)

Directions

Put all pickling liquid ingredients in a pot, and bring to a boil Allow to steep for 10 minutes. Slice cabbage and place in a large container or pot. Strain steeped picking liquid on top of cabbage. mix gently with tongs, then allow to sit in the liquid til ready to plate.

German Potato Salad

Ingredients

6 cups chopped potato (1/4-1/2 inch cubes ideal)

4 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4 tablespoons mustard

6 tablespoons mayo

2 pickles, diced

6 Scallions/Green Onions, thinly sliced

Directions

Put chopped potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water. Add the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium high heat and continue cooking till fork tender, approximately 12-15 mins.

While the potatoes cook, dice the pickle, and slice the scallions. When the potatoes finish cooking, strain off the water, and place potatoes in a medium sized mixing bowl. Combine the potatoes, apple cider vinegar, mustard, mayo, pickled and scallions together. Season with salt and pepper.

Peel eggplant. Slice into 1/8 inch rounds. Liberally salt both sides of the eggplant and place flat on a cooling rack or in a colander. (Moisture will begin to bead on top, and drip off the bottom of the eggplant, this is the bitter liquid being removed from the eggplant.) Allow to sit, salted, for half an hour. Zest the lemon and set aside. Cut the zested lemon into wedges. Keep separated from the zest. While waiting, set up three medium bowls : one for flour, one for the almond milk, and the other for the panko mixed with mustard, parsley, lemon zest, and salt and pepper.

When ready to cook, rinse off the excess salt and liquid from the eggplant and pat dry with paper towel. Heat a non stick pan over medium high heat Take each piece of eggplant and dredge through the three bowls in this order.

FLOUR / ALMOND MILK / FLOUR / ALMOND MILK / PANKO.

You may have to press the seasoned panko onto the eggplant slices. Set onto a baking sheet and dredge the rest. Add 2 T of canola oil to the pan. Once the pan is hot,drag each piece of breaded eggplant through the oil and then leave undisturbed in the pan. Flip when the panko breading is starting to become golden. Flip. Continue to cook until golden. Squeeze a lemon wedge over top to of the schnitzel, and season with salt and pepper to finish them.

Chocolate beer cake with chocolate ganache

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2/3 cups cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

500 ml dark beer

1 cup melted coconut oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350, line 2 9 inch round cake pans with parchment, and grease with additional coconut oil. Sift together dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients with whisk in a large bowl, add dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 25 - 30 minutes, when a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean the cakes are ready. Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes and then take out of pans to cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup hot coffee

Directions

Sift together cocoa and icing sugar. In a medium bowl, combine melted coconut oil and coffee. Add the cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. Let sit until cooled.